Why more of us are going child-free
Has the pandemic pushed more people not to have kids? By 2030, the number of couples without children will overtake the number of couples with children. Despite initial talk of lockdown love and the ‘the makings of a baby boom’, history tells us that birth rates are likely to drop in the wake of Covid-19 and the recession. For some people the pandemic, is the final straw, they won’t be having kids because the world is ‘no place for children’. Joining us today is Anne Hollonds - Director, Australian Institute of Family Studies. In today's news headlines: Victoria in a state of disaster, Melbourne’s stage four shutdown NSW upgrades facemask policy as QLD traces flight case Telstra backflips on cyberattack claim over mass outage Nick Kygrios slams “selfish” tennis stars while pulling out of US Open In today's Briefing we ask: Is declaring a fear of a post-Covid world being a reason to not have kids an over-reaction? Will the pandemic mean Australia’s population will go into decline?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2 Aug 202020min
We need to talk about ‘Karen’… What does this label really mean?
The label ‘Karen’ has become a new archetype of middle-class white privilege. ‘Karen’ has mostly been used in the U.S as a way of calling out entitled white women who are used to getting their way and who police the behaviour of others. So today we find out what this label really means... by going back to where it started. In today's news headlines: Three Queensland women charged with fraud over Coronavirus Victorian restrictions extended after record 723 new cases, 13 deaths Zuckerberg told he may be forced to sell Instagram as Trump considers US TikTok ban In today's Briefing we speak to: Karen Hopkins, Australian who has no problem with the name Karen - is happy to have a laugh about it. Andre Brock, Association Professor of media studies at Georgia Tech. Dr Benjamin Nickl, lecturer at the University of Sydney. Professor Roly Sussex; emeritus professor of applied language studies at the University of Queensland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
30 Juli 202020min
How to stop the next wave: Our mental health crisis
The mental health consequences of COVID-19 are being described as the next wave of the pandemic. The pain of this pandemic could last for years, even if the medical emergency ends soon. Calls to Lifeline have increased and new research from Sydney University’s Brain and Mind Centre predicts that under a best case scenario rates of suicide will rise by 14 per cent over the next five years. So how do we try and stop that from happening? On today's episode we speak to Professor Ian Hickie the director of the Brain and Mind centre. In today's news headlines: Queensland is shutting out all of Greater Sydney after two Covid-19 positive teens sneak in Melbourne police break car window in dramatic arrest of viral Covid-19 sceptic Young Australians incomes’ have actually gone backwards Lorde, Sia, Rihanna sign letter demanding politicians ask before playing songs at rallies If you're feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping or staying safe. You can call 13 11 14 for confidential one-to-one support with a trained Lifeline telephone crisis supporter. Or visit headspace.org.au to find your nearest centre, or go and see your local doctor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
29 Juli 202022min
‘House of horror’: Inside Melbourne’s worst-hit aged care home
One of the biggest threats of the pandemic is unfolding right now. The number of old people getting covid-19 in Victoria’s aged care facilities is frightening. On today’s episode we look at the Covid crisis engulfing the aged care centres in Melbourne, and how this could be happening given the loss and devastation at Newmarch house in Sydney? Nicholas Barboussas shares his heartbreaking story about his fathers covid death in St Basil’s nursing home in Melbourne, and Thomas Patsakos descrbes whats its like to have a loved one with dementia in the same aged care facility. In today's news headlines: Specialist teams rushed in amid Victorian aged care crisis Sydney Black Lives Matter protest over before it began Heartbreaking number: almost 3 billion animals killed or displaced by summer fires Donald Trump Jr restricted by Twitter over anti-masker post In today's Briefing we ask: what's it like to have family inside an aged care home during the time of Coronavirus? How difficult is it to not be able to visit and not be able to be there in a family members final days? What is the reaction to people refusing to wear masks or the "herd immunity" theory?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
28 Juli 202019min
Mack Horton: Olympic Swimming Champion and enemy of drug cheats
The Tokyo Olympics were scheduled to open last week before the pandemic pushed them back to next year. Australian Olympic Swimming champion Mack Horton would’ve been racing this week, defending his 400m Gold medal from Rio. It would also have been the first Olympics without a Sun Yang drug cloud hanging over it after the Chinese swimmer was banned for eight years after tampering with a drug test. He joins us on today's show as our very special guest. In today's news headlines: Three-week-old baby infected with coronavirus in Melbourne NICU cluster Top lawmakers refuse to #RaiseTheAge Black Lives Matter protesters say they’ll cancel today’s rally – on one condition The ACCC’s world-first case against Google In today's Briefing we ask Mack Horton: How time out of the water was harder than the postponement of the Olympics for him? What was it like not having a pool to train in during lockdown? What's the new sport he’s fallen in love with? What is the physical and psychological impacts of not training? How different the Olympics might look in 2021 in a pandemic world? What was his podium protest really about at the Rio Games?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
27 Juli 202017min
Why is Australia locking up 10 year olds?
Across Australia children as young as 10 can be arrested by police, charged with an offence, hauled before a court and locked away in youth prisons. We’re one of the only western countries that do that. Today Australian lawmakers will have a historic chance to change that. The Council of Attorneys-General will be looking at raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 years in line with UN standards. On today’s episode we hear the deeply moving story of Keenan Mundine who was first locked up at 14 and then spent 15 years in an out of prison. He is part of the campaign to raise the age, and runs an organisation called Deadly Connections. Roxanne Moore is a Noongar woman and human rights lawyer and is helping drive the #RaiseTheAge campaign. In today's news headlines: “Anti-maskers” slammed by government, business Premier says Melbourne is “effectively” in stage four already Supreme Court blocks upcoming Sydney Black Lives Matter protest Majority of Australians support legal change to stop putting ten-year-olds in prison In today's Briefing we ask: what is the impact of being locked up on a young person? How does going to prison at a young age normalise it if it happens in future? What does it take to break out of that system? What is a better way to deal with crime than sending children to detention? What would the impact of raising the age of criminal responsibility be? What percentage of young people who are locked up come back to prison?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
26 Juli 202019min
The Weekend Briefing with Special Guest Julia Gillard
Welcome to a special weekend edition of The Briefing with guest Julia Gillard. In today’s episode, we catch up with Australia’s first and only female Prime Minister about her famous misogyny speech of 2012, how ultra macho leadership styles are letting us down during the pandemic, and her new book Women in Leadership. In today's episode Julia Gillard speaks to us about: The speech that turned her into a feminist hero The fact she never expected her gender to be such a key point in her leadership of the country Her take on some of the more controversial male leaders across the world during the pandemic Whether New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern would ‘make it’ in Australian politics Whether she expected her post-political life to centre around female leadership Where she thinks the gender equality debate will be after the pandemic What male leaders of today can do to pave the way for a more equal future See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
24 Juli 202031min
Job Keeper Rorts
Today we take a deep dive on JobKeeper rorts and the bosses taking advantage during the pandemic. Common issues include workers being forced to change hours and duties to receive JobKeeper, and workers being pressured into accepting JobKeeper on the employer’s terms. Since the scheme began in March the Australian Tax office has received more than 6168 tip offs about JobKeeper payment issues, and the Fair Work Ombudsman has received 726 requests for assistance. In today's episode we speak to some workers who fall under JobKeeper's provisions and Giri Sivaraman, a Principal lawyer at Maurice Blackburn. In today's headlines: A quarter of a million more people will lose their jobs by Christmas Man in his 50s one of five new Victorian deaths as $300 hardship payment introduced Twitter confirms private messages accessed in high profile hack of Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Kanye West Bill Gates “doesn’t know” where Covid-19 microchip conspiracy theory came from On today's Briefing we ask: Is your employer allowed to force you into a different role or hours on JobKeeper? What should you do if you're being forced to change hours on JobKeeper? What should you do if you're being forced to change duties on JobKeeper? Are you forced to accept JobKeeper?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
23 Juli 202016min
